Voordat ik aan deze reis begon, wist ik dat ik met twintig andere studenten zou gaan. Allemaal verschillende types, met ieder hun eigen eigenschappen en kenmerken. Na een week met hen te hebben doorgebracht, leek het me wel wat om een paar van hen aan je voor te stellen. Deze negende blog gaat dus niet over prachtig Beijing, maar over een aantal mensen die het avontuur met me meebeleefden.

Maggie
Reisleidster Anne beschrijft Maggie doorgaands als een vogeltje dat net uit haar ei gekropen is. Geregeld gonsde het door de bus: “Oooohh, maar mevrouw, hoe moet dat dan? En wanneer gaan we dat doen dan?” Deze manier van praten schijnt ze al haar hele leven te vertonen. De eerste dagen kropen de kriebels me over de rug, maar na een tijdje konden we er allemaal, Maggie incluis, hartelijk om lachen.

Marloes
Onze celebrity! Marloes is een echte Hollandse dame, nog nét geen ‘Zeeuws meisje’. Het feit dat haar haren superblond zijn, zorgde ervoor dat menig Chinees prompt stopte met lopen en verbaasd stond te kijken. Dit duurde een aantal seconden, waarna de desbetreffende Chinees haar gebaarde of ze alsjeblieft met hen op de foto wilde. Aangezien ´NEEN´ niet in Marloes haar woordenboek staat, ging ze er elke keer weer stralend voor staan. Ons in een deuk van het lachen achterlatend.

Marloes in haar element!

Peter&Lana
Deze twee personen in één stukje samengevat, omdat het familie is. Lana is mijn zusje, Peter mijn neef. Deze twee lijken qua karakter akelig veel op elkaar. Hun manier van denken staat lijnrecht tegenover die van mij. Wanneer ik liep te stressen voor het ontbijt of weer eens de halve inhoud van mijn koffer kwijt was, riepen deze twee ellendelingen in koor: “Komt goeeehoeed, RUSTIG blijven!” Waarna ze eerst elkaar aankeken en daarna mij, om vervolgens in lachen uit te barsten.

Kevin&Vincent
Deze twee heren worden ook samengevat in één stukje. Niet omdat ze familie van elkaar zijn, maar omdat ze superverliefd, dolgelukkig en heel erg verloofd zijn. Jawel, ons happy couple! Kevin (17) en Vincent (28) kunnen nu al niet met of zonder elkaar. Ze kibbelden de hele week als een bejaard echtpaar, maar houden ontzettend veel van elkaar. We kunnen niet wachten tot de bruiloft, die naar alle waarschijnlijkheid volgend jaar voorjaar zal plaatsvinden.

Dit zijn maar een paar beschrijvingen van een stel ontzettend leuke, komische mensen. Want dat zijn het echt. Ook zij lieten me af en toe dingen zien waar ik in het begin overheen keek. Zo riep Maggie bijvoorbeeld: “Oh kijk daaaaaar! Wat zijn die jongetjes dik zeeeeg!”
Als ze het niet –op haar eigen, kenmerkende manier- had geroepen, dan had ik het misschien wel gemist en was een complete blog in rook opgegaan…

Hi There Everyone,

Great News I now have an official Facebook Fan Page!

Simply search for “Ashleigh Alexandra Louise Smith” on Facebook and Join my Fan Page today as that is where
photo’s and Video’s and News is being posted more regulary than at this blog.

So my advice is to join my facebook fan page and keep checking back here on a regular basis as the plan is to release
some exclusive photo’s and videos via this blog every now and again which will not appear on my facebook fan page and
then also put some stuff on Facebook which won’t appear here!

As you can see in the above video I sleep very well even when in noisy room’s, indeed
I reckon I could sleep through an earthquake I take after daddy like that : ) !

To finish for today here’s a quick video clip which daddy made by accident when he
was trying to take a picture of me on his mobile phone..

So Remeber to go to Facebook and search for “Ashleigh Alexandra Louise Smith” in the Manchester Network (England)
and join my Fanpage today!

Keep checking back as I have some important and amazing news coming very soon!

Hugs

Ashleigh

Star 69 and Duplex team up together to bring you brand new remixes of Celeda- The Underground to help celebrate the 10 year anniversary! Remixes from D-Unity, Richard Grey, Abel Ramos, and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike !

Its been a while since Celeda- The Underground first came out 10 years ago and Duplex (along with Star 69) brings it back and up-to-date! It arguably has been played by more DJ’s than almost any other track in dance music history and not only put Celeda on the map but helped introduce NYC-based label Star 69 Records to the world. Support from Erick Morillo, Bob Sinclar, Roger Sanchez, Avicii, and more !

All mixes went straight to the Beatport Charts

BUY NOW:

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/198245/The%20Underground

The family and I are in Seattle for Thanksgiving. We had great weather on the drive up, but Seattle is living up to its reputation with a constant light rain. One can completely understand why this is the coffee capital of the country.

I got some fun shots of Peter’s cutter and some of the ice breaker docked next to it. At first I was told I could not take photos on board, but the Officer of the Day said I could because everything sensitive was covered up. I joked about all the top secret things on a 38-year-old cutter, and he retorted that the electronics were only 30 years old. I concluded that the “top” secret was that they still use technology that old.

On the serious side, it is an interesting mix of old and new. The bridge had much that was original equipment, but also many things that were clearly much newer. Regardless, the thought of this being your home for months, or even years at at time seemed completely foreign to me.

Back to the photographs, I will have to wait until we get home to post any, as I did not bring all I need to get that done. Well, today is Thanksgiving, so Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I am very thankful for my family, this trip, and the God who makes it all possible and wonderful.

In this study I have tried to show what the Scripture teaches about water baptism. I know there is more to say but basically it is personal response to our faith in the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, and that He died for our sins.

By the physical act of baptism we are declaring the spiritual fact that in Jesus we want to count the sins of the past as dead. We want to bury it all by baptism with Him. Coming up out of the water signifies that we are risen with Him to walk a new life in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6; Colossians 2:12,13) Then the promised Holy Spirit will help us, comfort, strengthen, and guide us into all His truth.

There are many different teachings, rules, and ways concerning how and when water baptism should be done. I find a few simple words very spiritually satisfying and Scriptural.

We know that Jesus said to baptize all that became His disciples in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Some object because the name of Jesus is not mentioned in these words. On the day of Pentecost Peter commanded the people to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus. Some think there is a conflict. I do no see a conflict for these reasons.

If I refuse to use these words of Jesus I am refusing to observe and teach what He said. If I baptize without doing and saying it in Jesus name I am not obeying the commandment to do all things in His name. (Colossians 3:17) Therefore I do both. I use Jesus’ words and give them in Jesus’ name.

After the one to be baptized gives a testimony of their faith in the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, and that through Him we receive the forgiveness of sins, I proceed with these or similar words:

Because of your testimony, and because of Jesus’ command-ment, in Jesus name I now baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

If they have not already received the promised Holy Spirit I, along with others, pray for this blessing.

Our desire and prayer for you is:

Colossians 1:9 …that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Carlton B. Abbott and Leelah Boone Abbott

I feel as though more things need “Palooza”s. At least for now. Tuesday I did not write anything useful or great. I did do school stuff hard core all morning, then go home and bake cookies for Morgan for his birthday and come back, give him his cookies, and go to choir. It was a really intense day actually and choir almost murdered my voice.

Today I got up around ten and did some morning stuff and then baked from about eleven in the morning until nine this evening. Peter came over and helped me, and we also watched House on Haunted Hill while a few pies were baking. There were three pies: an apple, a pumpkin and a blueberry pie. Also, I roasted a ton of sweet potatoes and toasted some bread (on accident, but it turned out alright). Peter and I decided it would be adorable to make these little tiny pies that are in mini muffin cups. I had found a recipe in a magazine and Peter and I tried it. They are pumpkin mini pies with pecan topping and they are DELICIOUS. I feel like a cooking genius.

This year we’re having Thanksgiving at the Theisen’s this year. I kind of love hosting, but this will be nice. Stacy is all about decorating, so that should be interesting. We are bringing the dressing (stuffing that isn’t stuffed), sweet potatoes, three deserts apparently, and some cranberry thing. At home mom is making a turkey for us, I’m pretty sure. At least there is one sitting out in the second fridge. Tomorrow should be fun. Oh! I don’t know what I’m going to wear. … This is a problem I’m going to leave up to “future Rachel”. I think she will know what to do.

I am rather tired and surprisingly exhausted, so I think I’m off to sleep now, kids. Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!

Best friends are like diamonds, precious and rare
False friends are like leaves, found everywhere.                 

                                                    Anonymous

Recently I attended a meeting with a group of inspiring, intelligent and amusing women.   We had lots of fun, and I left thinking they were the type of people I would like to get to know better, and perhaps one day they would become real friends.    I went onto meet another friend at a cafe for lunch, only to look up to see the same bunch of women from the meeting having lunch together.

Childishly, I felt my stomach tighten and an overwhelming need overtook me to fold myself up and slide under the table to hide.    I was again the awkward twelve-year-old girl starting high school amongst strangers who stood giggling in huddled groups while I stood alone.    I was the new girl, sniggered at, and not included.

Once upon a time making new friends felt like gathering pretty shells along the sea-shore.   There were a multitude to choose from, in all shapes, sizes, colours and textures.   You could hear the ocean when you put one to your ear, others brightened your world with their rich earthy colours, and there were those rare few from the ocean’s depths shaped just right to give you a good belly-laugh every time.   Our friends widen our outlook and bring new worlds to our doorsteps.

These days I find my beaches much emptier and the search for true friendship much lonelier.   It is easy to be surrounded by smiling faces and companionship, but there are invisible walls between us, busy lives and careers to pursue, children to chase and scold, and a lot of fear and apprehension at letting our hearts be seen.

Thankfully, I have a handful of people I refer to as my ‘drop everything’ friends.   When a crisis hits we literally ‘drop everything’ for each other.  There is no guilt, fear or embarrassment in asking for help.    These friends are there for me, and I am there for them.

Yesterday I had a pedicure with such a friend and our time together having our feet massaged in perfumed oil, sinking into cushioned massage chairs, glasses of champagne in hand, was like gold.   These physical luxuries were nothing compared to our lively conversation.   There is never any doubt that my friend wants to hear about my life, and I love hearing about hers.   There is an equality to the exchange, giving and taking, laughing and crying, or sitting together, relaxing and feeling connected without the need for words.

It is painful to lose a true friend.   I had a friend once who was in the ‘drop everything’ category.  We spent lots of time together for a number of years – weekends in the country, evenings in Double Bay watching the rich people while eating mudcake and sipping coffee, and many nights sitting up until the small hours discussing our hopes and dreams.  She was like a sister to me.

However, when I got engaged and the wedding loomed closer, I felt a shift in her attitude toward me.    I tried to ignore my instinct.    A week before my wedding I checked my answering machine one evening and heard a very strange message.   My friend had accidentally recorded herself on my answering machine, speaking on her mobile phone about me to a friend.    Her words were venomous, cruel and dishonest.   I kept thinking she must be talking about somebody else, but then she mentioned my partner’s name and I knew that it was me.    I cried every night that week, leading up to the happiest day of my life.

She smiled at me sweetly and said kind words to me on my wedding day, and I smiled back through clenched teeth, holding in my hurt and anger.   After our honeymoon I wrote her a letter telling her what I had heard.  Even then, I would have accepted an apology or an explanation.   I hung onto hope.   Her reply finally came but was one line.   She was guilty as accused and she said goodbye.  That was it.

I am grateful for that bizarre twist of fate, or as I believe, divine intervention, which revealed her heart to me.   As sad as it was, it would have been much sadder to maintain such a dishonest friendship.

In the Gospels I read that Jesus had twelve best mates who he walked through life with.   He had gathered a rare assortment of shells from the beach, as each of his disciples had unique personalities and related to him in different ways.   Yet out of this group of true friends, Peter, who boldly professed his love for Jesus and said he would die for him, went on to deny even knowing him three times to a servant girl.    Then there was Judas who betrayed Jesus with a kiss leading to his death, for the price of some bags of silver.    Being hurt and disappointed by our friends certainly isn’t a new concept.

When I’m deeply hurt it takes a long time to recover, but I’m learning that the only way back to wholeness is to forgive, let it go and walk away.  I embrace the richness of my true friendships and cherish them as one of life’s greatest gifts.    I also continue to search the seashore for any shells hidden in the sand.   You can never tell how colourful and unique they are until you take the risk and reach out your hand.

Yay for another decade list of albums that influenced my growing up as a teenager. This list probably means jack-shit in the grand scheme of things, but regardless here are my top 40 records that I think owned. Just a note that one a band has had an album already appear, no more will come up, just to share it around.

40. The Killers – Hot Fuss (2004)

I remember back in 2004 when The Killers were the ultimate hype of the year, and so they should have been, they were great, and Hot Fuss was an amazing album. From “Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine” through to “Everything Will Be Alright”, this album owned my summer and was one of my first transitioning albums from my young, 13-year old rap and hiphop faze (everyone’s been there, okay?). I’m not sure if it was their catchy one-liners, or dominate 80’s synths, that would go on to really influence the bands I enjoy in music, but The Killers catchy pop riffs backed with Brandon Flowers lyrics “Make this go away without a word” in “Midnight Show” lifted my adolescence. What a shame The Killers never got back to this status as the following 2 albums that followed (not including Sawdust, b-side albums don’t count).

39. Sigur Rós – Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (2008)

For me lyrics are a huge part of who I do and don’t enjoy listening to. So when Icelandic band Sigur Rós came into my life it breached all contracts. Understandably, hardly any of their tracks are in English but for some reason it doesn’t seem to faze me. Their music is simply so divine by tune of the song you can gather what it is about. And if you still don’t know you can make it up really. I suppose the influence of Thom Yorke putting forward that “this band is going to be huge” also helps ones inhibition and self promotion. I think with or without the word from Yorke Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust was always going to be a fantastic album.

38. The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow (2003)

Having your bands name come out of Natalie Portman’s mouth I guess impacts on a small minority of followers. Having your band pasted all over a soundtrack is another. Regardless, The Shins were always going to be as rated as they are, and their fantastic debut is no exception. Realistically, Garden State was an indie film, and although there have been amazing indie’s before it, ie. The Virgin Suicides collaboration with Air, Dappled Cities writing out the last couple of anthems for Disney. The Shins success has also been filled with rock n roll back-story that critics love to hear, from front-man James Mercer receiving death-threats from a neighbor while trying to write and record Wincing The Night Away. Chutes Too Narrow is full of fun and vibrant “indie” tracks that have easily impacted on the decades explosion in the indie world.

37. The Postal Service – Give Up (2004)

Ben Gibbard and James Figurine seemed like an unlikely couple, and many were skeptic from the start. One gave his soul to promotion on The OC and is now more commonly known as the king of the indie world, though 7 records in and signed to a major label. The other half of The Postal Service is an electronics genius. But when the two got together to do Give Up it proved a fantastic combination of talents, even among the music world. “Such Great Heights” has boastfully been covered more times by more artists than most (Ben Folds, Iron & Wine etc), not to mentioned a sneak cover every now and then, with one of the greatest lyrics in a song written, also covered by Teddy what’s-his-name. Give Up oozes confidence from start to finish.

36. Peter, Bjorn & John – Writer’s Block (2006)

For a good 18 months people all over the world could not stop whistling that pop brilliance that came out of the world wide hit “Young Folks”. It was enjoyable regardless of people not listening to the lyrics and hearing what the song was really about “If I told you things I did before, Told you how I used to be, Would you go along with someone like me?“. Writer’s Block is solid gold in every track from start to finish. In its lyrical brilliance of “Objects Of My Affection” to the short and sweetness of “Start To Melt” that you never want to end. And the devistating heart-break of “The Chills” with “Don’t know about love, But I know the lack of it” that rings in your ears for days after.

35. Iron & Wine – The Shepard’s Dog (2007)

After releasing multiple albums revolving around a simple husky voice and an old acoustic guitar, Samual Beam, better known as, Iron & Wine turned up the amps, switched on the distortion, and layered as many tracks down per song as possible to produce one of the fantastic albums of 2007. Though as Iron & Wine’s style of song-writing goes, it can be a bit hard to tell what he is writing about, The Shepard’s Dog tells the great Beam stories of love, loss, what he wants, and what seems out of reach, “There is a house by the sea, And an ocean between it and me“, though as Beam assures no distance is too far out of reach. This in-turn creates one of the fantastic folk records of the decade.

34. Augie March – Sunset Studies (2001)

While it seems apparent that not much “super-fantastic-omg-amazing” music comes out of the western parts of the southern hemisphere, Augie March are this fantastic Australian band that have circulated around for years. Though it wasn’t until 2006 and the release of the chart topping hit “One Crowded Hour” was released that they would come to fame, but I remember hearing back when I would have been so young hearing “There Is No Such Place” and the beautiful song that it is. Augie March seem to be king at beautiful arrangements of piano & guitar that can span out for any length of time, like on the eariness of “Hole In Your Roof” another key track.

33. Band Of Horses – Everything All The Time (2006)

Strongly influenced by the likes of Built To Spill and Interpol is the Seattle based 3-piece Band Of Horses with their stunning debut release of Everything All The Time. Like Built To Spill before them Band Of Horses follow the same multi-layered guitar, strongly dominated by lead rifs, arranged around Ben Birdwill’s beautiful and unique voice. Tracks like, “Our Sword” and “The Funeral” play key in this epic, 36 minute indie-pop gem of the decade that recieved critical praise among reviewers all over the world.

32. Daft Punk – Discovery (2001)

Something about the unflinching charm and optimism of Daft Punk’s Discovery is too lovable to hate on too much. It’s so damn happy and unassumingly danceable that it doesn’t grate on me the way other albums like it have. Though previous Daft Punk records seemed hard to listen to, after all, they were really just a combination of samples that the duo would use in their live sets, they just made tracks out of them, yet Discovery seems the perfect record for a group of this genre so early on. The duo from Paris who hit the dance bullseye in Discovery by combining a variety of old-school styles with modern studio techniques and meticulous production. And who is ever going to forget this album with singles like “One More Time”, the anthem to any party that will just never end.

31. Muse – Black Holes And Revelations (2006)

Muse has cemented its legacy among the faithfuls of the rock genre with this effort. Riding on the coattails of Absolution’s stunning success, Black Holes And Revelations simply is a stellar gem from top to bottom. Opening the curtains for this album is “Take A Bow” which has a strong political message included in it. Screaming “Corrupt, you’re corrupt and bring corruption to all that you touch”, the song really tells what the band thinks about the present world. Closing the album is one of its released tracks “Knights of Cydonia”. Galloping horses, a spectacular guitar work, the song closes the album on a high note implanting in your head “No one’s going to take me alive“, it really seems fitting for anthem of the decade.

Next 25, as promised!

26.  Traveling!  We have had the opportunity to see some of the most incredible places on earth in the past few years, and now we have the opportunity to live in one of those places.  It has its ups and downs, but it is an undeniably life-altering experience, and we are so grateful.

27.  Walking!  This may sound odd, but we have been walking more in these last few months than we have… probably ever.  We walk everywhere, and nothing makes you more attentive to something you have taken for grated than suddenly having no other option but to do that thing.  I mean, we could take the bus (so I guess there is an option), but walking is free.  And, man, are we getting in some good shape!

28.  Reading!  It’s hard to be thankful for something when it is forced upon you (i.e. being required to read certain texts for, say, seminary).  But we are both at a point when we largely have control over what we read, and it is such a delight to have that control.  There are some masterful groupings of sentences out there.  Who knew!

29.  The Office!  We have been downloading the new episodes of The Office from iTunes every week, and we are so relieved to live in a day and age when we could do such a thing.  Because: life without Thanksgiving is tough enough; life without John Kraskinski?  Impossible.

30.  Our flat!  We live in a tiny, one-bedroom flat in the middle of an incredible city in the UK.  When we were frantically searching for a place to live, we came across this flat, and, immediately, we both knew: this was the place for us.

31.  Sunlight!  Nothing makes you appreciate the sun more than living in a climate that rarely sees it, during a time of year that bids it goodbye in the middle of the afternoon.  Oh how we love the sun!

32.  GREAT COFFEE!!!  I know we already mentioned food and beverages, but coffee deserves its own category as a guarantor of our happiness.

33.  Laughter!  Anne Lamott, that modern prophet, says that laughter is “carbonated holiness.”  We like to drink up.

34.  Cobblestone roads.  It’s killer for high heels and clumsy people, but there’s still something poetic about these paths.

35.  Ice!  Euro-peoples underestimate the awesomeness of ice in a drink.  We bought a little star-shaped ice cube tray, and, darnit, we love ice.

36.  Our warm bed!  See the pic above.  Is there anything more wonderful than a cozy bed after a long day?

37.  The Internet!  God bless Al Gore, or whoever it was that came up with this wackadoodle invention.  It keeps us connected, informed, and entertained, and it’s hard to imagine life without it.

38.  Our Princeton Seminary community!  We know and can list the extensive problems with PTSem.  And yet, we are so grateful for it in our lives.  It has changed us, shaped us, and provided us with a community that we know will last a lifetime.  Even here in Scotland, we can’t escape that community, and for that, we are grateful.

39.  Project Runway!  I (Peter) have a thing for Heidi Klum; I (Megan) tire of her easily.  Still, we are mesmerized by this show.  What talent some people have!  We find it awe-inspiring, and we are so thankful that we get the show over here.

40.  This commercial.  Delights us every time.  Taking all our parenting tips from this woman.

41.  Our musical instruments!  Peter saith: My guitar keeps us company when we’re lonely, and helps us to sing songs in a strange land…

cf. Psalm 137:4-5: How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land?  If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill!

Megan saith: My keyboard (which is securely awaiting my return in a storage unit in Princeton) has breathed life back into mine time and time again.

42.  Megan’s cooking (says Peter):  Tasty, filling, homey.

43.  The park next to our flat!  It has children playing and rejoicing in all sorts of weather.  And it has a basketball court, which has inspired us to get a £2 basketball and improve our game.

44.  Starbucks’ winter drinks!  We know, we know.  It’s commercial, it’s not that great a quality coffee, etc., etc.  BUT!  Who can resist a drink in a red cup?  Not us.

45.  Warm showers!  We were pretty certain that we would end up in a flat that had low water pressure and cold water (just seems befitting of Britain).  But we have been pleasantly surprised by our steamy showers every morning.  Warm, refreshing, and robust!

46.  Simple living!  We came to the UK with little more than three suitcases, a guitar, and three boxes full of clothes.  Most of our stuff is either being used by friends or is in storage somewhere.  And you know what?  We’re realizing that we really don’t need all that much in life to be happy.  We’re thankful for this lesson.

47.  The book of Genesis.  Tonight, we finish reading through Genesis, which we began when we first arrived in Scotland.  We figured it was a fitting saga to read as we began our own saga together, pilgrims in a foreign land who have to rely on the promises of a God that can seem hidden– or even altogether absent, at times.  The Hebrews are now in Egypt, God has protected them and provided for their progeny, and their stories are resonating in our hearts and lives like seldom before.

48.  Peter.  I (Megan) am so thankful that I have–miraculously– been granted the privilege of living my life with and alongside Peter Kline’s.  His humility, gentleness, and sense of humor are like a compass, guiding me toward my best self, day after day.

49.  Megan. I (Peter) am so thankful to have been given such a wonderful woman. Megan’s compassion and tenderness combined with her inexhaustible  spunk and wit make every day an adventure worth living. Also, she keeps me well fed, which is just about the best gift anybody could receive.

50. We are thank for God’s faithfulness and constancy. There have been days here when God has seemed absent, but the small reminders of His Spirit we receive (sometimes unexpectedly) teach us that God is never absent, only sometimes hidden.

So we had to leave Merritt because the guy that was generous enough to let us stay at his motel, Peter, lost his job.  I blame Brian.  It definitely wasn’t my fault ’cause I didn’t sleep in the motel that night.  I woke up in somebody’s backyard.  That’s when I lost my guitar.

The people whose yard it was were concerned for me having somewhere to sleep.  I dazily explained I was staying at the Double D Inn and made my way off their property.  I somehow found my way back to the DoubleD and slept about an hour before Peter came in and told us we had to go.  Apparently his boss was coming back into town and Brian had been knocking on peoples doors the night before.  Peter had two jobs and he lost both of them somehow, if that’s even possible.  Poor Peter.

So now I’m realizing I don’t have my guitar so we retrace our steps from the night before, if that’s even possible.  The bar we were at said I had it with me when they kicked us out.  Hopefully that’s a last call kind of kicking out but I’m afeared it wasn’t.  So now we’re looking for the house I woke up at when a van pulls up asking if I’m Trevor Porter.  I am and I’m reunited with my guitar to my extreme relief.

So today’s ride is a generalization of Merritt locals, Natives, fellow travelers and random friendlies, driving us to the fire camp and back.  But, yeah, the fires don’t need any more volunteers.  So here we are in Merritt with nowhere to stay and nowhere to go.  Both of us barely slept the night before and we’re exhausted.  We even went into the police station and asked if we could sleep in some cells.  Nope, we had to break the law.  We looked around for something illegal to do but everything was too much effort so we continued down the street out of town..

This morning I was doing the usual reading but not really absorbing daily reading of my Bible.   I was in 1 Peter 5:5-6 when I thought, “Oh, that’s interesting. Peter telling us to be humble.”

Then my mind drifted to Paul.  Maybe because our small group talked at length about him recently. What came to my mind was that Paul talks about the need to lift up Jesus or “preach Christ crucified.”

So I had to sit there and think, what do those two thoughts have in common? And I realized that Paul and Peter had the common experience of being changed.  Just like Glenn preached last Sunday, both men had done religion. Their lives were not changed until they had experienced Jesus.  Even more so, it wasn’t until the Holy Spirit lived in them that their lives changed dramatically.

Paul’s religious practice left him a murderer.  Peter’s life before Jesus’ death, revealed an impulsive and eventually cowardly man.  You only have to do a brief examination of the lives of these two men to see a dramatic change — in essence a ‘before and after.’  What is the common denominator?  Belief in Jesus who died then was resurrected and the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Compare the Paul (Saul) of  Acts 8:1-3 with 1 Cor 1:23 and the Peter of Matthew 26:33-35, Matthew 27:75 with Acts 2:14-41.  Then read Acts 2:4 and Acts 9:17 to see what made the difference.

The difference in ‘before and after’ and the secret to a vital life of faith is the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is available to any who ask for it.  Evidence that you have the Holy Spirit is a changed life.  It may not be as dramatic as Peter or Paul but I hope you can look back and see that you are a different person now than you were before.

As I was sitting at the kitchen counter taking a few notes so I could remember all this and blog about it later, the words to this song popped into my head.  I didn’t even know the title or who sings it so I had to goggle it. I think Peter would appreciate this song and the lyrics. I hope it blesses you today.

Empty Me by Chris Sligh

Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you.
Oh, filled with you.
Empty me.

As you serve God be diligent to know the difference between the word of God and the religious traditions of men. Jesus strongly con­demned all such traditions because they cause trans­gressions against God’s commandments and make His word of no effect. As shown in this study it is especially true in the teaching of baptism

Matthew 15:3 “Why do you also transgress the commandments of God because of your tradition?

6 “Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.

7 Hypocrites!  Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying,

8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.

9 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (Isaiah 29:13)

As with every other truth of God’s word, water baptism has become enclosed with men’s traditions that obscure and make void the truth. In the minds of multitudes men’s traditions have become far more sacred than Jesus’ simple words.

Jesus commanded to baptize those who became disciples and those who believe the gospel. Peter said those who repent and are baptized in Jeses’ name shall receive the promised the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20  “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Lord, I pray today that when I speak the words that I say will be words that match Your works within me. I hope that even when I want to back out of talking about particular issues I would continue on and enter into them with faith and stand up for You. I pray I will move away from negativity and become someone who looks for all the good opportunities in her life. Amen.

The Bible teaches us that as long as we are still on this earth we must continue to grow – Reading the word allows us to transcend any sitation and explore new worlds. Knowledge keeps your  mind sharp and your soul free. Peter says: “Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord…” (2 Peter 3:18).

Even on the cross, with nails piercing His hands and His feet, Jesus continued to minister – and He should be our example! Never get out of the game, for even in the last few seconds a goal is still possible – remember the other criminal who was crucified next to Jesus who turned to Him at the end and who is now with Jesus in Heaven.

When we pray to the Lord we have to know what we are saying and we have to mean what we say. If we say it but there is no feeling behind it then the words are just words and they have no power anymore. Words are meant to have meaning but today a lot of them have lost it – straightforward speech has just lost cohension today. My sister B is always coming up with new words for meaning things and I have absolutely no idea what she means – her favourite one atm is ‘ooge’ and she will use it in every context imaginable and it begins to stand for a myriad different things! In other words the original meaning of it (if it even had one!) has been totally lost! For a better example, take a look at the word ‘gay’ – that used to be used to describe someone who was happy but now it’s rather a derogatory term for someone who is homosexual.

We need to start meaning what we say again (and yes i’ve been stealing stuff yet again from UCB) because we avoid saying yes when we mean it and no when we don’t and it damages our relationships. Also when we say stuff and mean it we need to stick with it otherwise we will lose all respect and our words will lose their power.

so say what you mean guys and mean what you say. Amen x

This is just another ordinary week in Edinburgh, which is strange for us.   We know that Thanksgiving fever is radiating across our homeland, and, man, do we miss it.  Prepping and cooking Thanksgiving dinner has to be one of our favorite things to do every year, and it is so odd that this Thursday, we will not wake up to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade, drink wine and beer with friends/family, and cook a ridiculously indulgent meal for all to share.

But what else is odd about this experience is the fact that, for all its propaganda (I mean, seriously, the pilgrims and the native Americans really weren’t that chummy, if you think about it), Thanksgiving has become a time that Americans are encouraged to reflect on what we are thankful for.  And somehow, without this explicit encouragement, we have found ourselves absent-mindedly forgetting to give thanks.  And so, for our betterment and yours, we are posting 50 things for which we are very thankful (50 things for 50 states… it’s amazing what living abroad can do for your goofy patriotism!).  Today, the first 25.  Enjoy!

1.  Family!  We have been blessed with blood- or law-relatedness of the highest sort.

2.  Wayne DeWald (aka “Dad”)– You inspire us to enjoy the little things in life– from birds to Lemonade Gatorade to naps.

3.  Norma DeWald (aka “Mom”)– We can always count on a conversation with you to make us laugh and lift our spirits.

4.  Nicole DeWald– You work hard and you play hard, and we appreciate your example of that precarious balance.  (Plus, you look so good doing it!)

5.  Bill Kline (aka “Dad”)– Your healthy perspective on life helps us live better.

6.  Karen Kline (aka “Mom”)– Your compassion and wisdom know no end.

7.  Ryan Baker– Your enthusiasm for all your endeavors (including your love for Elizabeth) reminds us that life is exciting.

8.  Elizabeth Kline Baker– You are the spur in the Kline family ass; without you, we’d go nowhere.

9.  David Kline– You are one of Peter’s closest and most trusted friends, which is such a gift for a brother.

10.  Hannah “Fairchild” Kline– A conversation with you covers the whole spectrum of human emotion (exhilarating!), and you have that fiery red hair and British accent to boot!

11.  Matthew Kline– You have the sort of single-minded passion that even the greatest of artists envy.  (Incidentally, we are among the envious!)

12.  Rebecca Kline– You teach us how to love and appreciate all of our relationships, especially those with our family.

13.  Pets!  A friend of ours says that animals are like little shards of Being; and we sure love loving our shard(s).

14.  Bono, our precious little beagle, you are our most favorite being to be with.

15.  Chelsea– We are thankful that you are the one that stuck around and continues to do so.  (For more on the Kline family pets saga, stay tuned for a later post!)

16.  Friends– too many to count and too good to describe.  We don’t know where we’d be in life without each and every one of you.

17.  Food!  Drinks!  Sustenance!

18.  Salt and vinegar potato chips, while not appetizing to some, are a daily staple in our home.  They keep us sharp-tongued.

19.  Cheese.  ’Nuff said.

20.  Tesco sells this incredible pre-packaged tiramisu that is single-handedly changing our lives.

21.  How can we declare the goodness of Weston’s Organic Pear Cider?

22.  Ginger ale, a staple in our house, courses through our veins.

23.  Music!  The Arcade Fire and David Crowder’s new album, “Church Music,” have their unique ways of soothing our souls these days.  How grateful we are for music!

24.  Skype!  Ohholynight, God bless the inventor of Skype.  Our Skype dates with friends and family have strengthened us for many-a-challenge.

25.  Healthcare!  Our Scottish doctor, Dr. McKenzie, is the kindest person we have met in Scotland, and her presence-of-mind-and-heart during our times of need has rekindled our oft-dwindling hope.

See you tomorrow for our next batch of ThanksGivingGoodness!

So, lately i’ve been getting addicted to pretty much anything that Matthew Inman has created. I mean everything. This guy is pumping out random comics that I just adore. Which is good, as I’m very hard to please when it comes to comics.

I need them to be senselessly stupid and drenched in inside humor. I like making other people be like: “uhh, I don’t get it”, which can only make something even more funny.

As it stands, I’ve been talking alot about stupidity lately. The most recent incident being last night, where I pointed out that I love stupid people doing stupid things to other people, but the second that they try to say or do something stupid to me, I murder them in my mind.

“YOU ARE DEAD TO ME“, I yell in my most he-man voice possible given the female vocal chords I was cursed with at birth, “DEAD!!!!”.

But the fact remains, when it happens to someone else, everything is fine and dandy and perfectly hilarious. That’s why I liked Homer Simpson for the longest time. And Peter from Family Guy was funny for a while too. Of course, they got old and things began to annoy me.

Now, don’t hate me, I still watch and enjoy the shows, just not as the full extent as I used to. I try not to watch them often enough for me to want to gouge my eyes out. It’s getting easier.

Well, that’s it for today, mostly. I’m in my American Sign language class and i’m pretty sure i’m going to have to make a lame excuse as to why I’m not going to be here next next Monday.  The real reason is that I’m going to be in Austin visiting with friends. The lame reason will be some kind of graduation for a family member or an interview for a summer internship.

perhaps that will work. =]

Peter und ich kämpfen am hellen Nachmittag darüber, welche Schuhe er anziehen soll. Ich bin für die älteren, im Kindergarten geht man vermutlich nach draußen. Peter erbost: “Immer muss ich tun, was DU willst. Hab ich eigentlich gar keine Rechte – so als Kind?”

Peter geht zum ersten Mal in die Musikschule. Dort klebt er mit ein bisschen Hilfe mühevoll einen Notenschlüssel aus Wollfäden aus Papier. Stolz präsentiert er das Kunstwerk danach seiner Oma Schatz: “Schau mal, Oma Schatz. Ich hab einen Zündschlüssel geklebt.” Mein kleiner Autonarr.

Wir wollen den neuen Scirocco probefahren, gleichzeitig wird mein Auto geschätzt. Peter schaut angeekelt auf die sandigen Sitze und die Brezelkrümel: “Da musste die Kiste aber noch ordentlich putzen. Sonst genier ich mich ja mit Dir.”

“Der Papa ist manchmal voll ne Spaßbremse.”

Peters Papa: “Peter, bin ich dick?” – Peter: “Neee. Aber…” 

Peters Papa: ”Wen findest Du dick?” Peter überlegt:  “Neee, die Mama auch nicht. Obwohl sie Busen hat.”

Ele pode ser o pai vampiro de Robert Pattinson nos filmes de Crepúsculo, mas na vida real, Peter Facinelli é mais como ala da Brit.

“As pessoas sempre vêm até mim e diz, ‘Oh meu Deus… você pode dar esta carta para o Rob?” O ator diz na edição de dezembro da Saúde da Mulher. “Eu me tornei o Pony Express de Robert Pattinson.”

Não que isso seja nos dois sentidos.

“Tenho ainda que pegar uma carta dele”, diz Facinelli.

Um veterano da série de Crépusculo, Facinelli 35 anos, agora entende o apelo pelos vampiros. “A fome de querer algo tanto que você pode prová-las é muito intimo, bonito e romântico”, diz ele. “É uma metáfora para o sexo.”

Quanto a sua parte favorita de uma mulher, o ator diz: “Lábios são sexy”, diz ele. “Eles são o instrumento de comunicação, mas também uma ferramenta para beijar. Eles são visualmente e intelectualmente sexy.”

Fonte:People

Ah Dr. Delicia vem olhar nossas bocas para ver se ela sao sexy

Yes, yes, I know, I have a crush on Mr. Schiff. But seriously – have you ever heard a politician manage to get through 30 minutes of questioning without

• Avoiding the subject
• Lying
• Changing the context
• Trying to outsmart his constituents
• Trying to suck up to the crowd

Admittedly, he dropped the ball on cap’n'trade for a fwe minutes. It could be because he didn’t hear the question. Anyways, here are some of the goodies :